Iowa State:
Rocco Becht/JJ Kohl – Quarterback
Now, this might not be one player, but it will definitely be the talk of the game Saturday. By far the biggest question going into this season has been who will take over for Hunter Dekkers. Will it be Rocco Becht, who already has experience leading the Iowa State offense or JJ Kohl, the projected superstar?
Whoever ends up taking the job down the line will be on the field at some point during the game against Northern Iowa. Before the matchup, Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell made it clear that both players would see playtime. Whether that means giving each player a half of their own or just throwing out one when the game is in the bag, both should get time under the sun.
Being that the quarterback position is one of the most impactful roles on the team, it will be important to keep an eye on the production coming from both Becht and Kohl.
Cartevious Norton – Running back
Similar to the quarterback position, the running back room will also be in the spotlight Saturday. The group of five will have the task of replacing the production of Jirehl Brock, who would have been the starter going into the season.
The player at the forefront of the group is Cartevious Norton. He showed flashes of greatness during the back-half of the 2022 season, and now he will have to build off of his impressive freshman campaign.
Although Norton will have the help of four other talented backs, he will take on a leadership role. Expect Norton to rumble through the UNI defense as he proves that he is as healthy and strong as ever.
T.J. Tampa – Defensive back
To no one’s surprise, T.J. Tampa will be a name to watch going into Saturday. Tampa is coming off an impressive season, which saw him rise up the ranks and become one of the nation’s premier corners.
Tampa has all the qualities of an elite corner and is now in a prime position to show off those talents. With Iowa State’s defensive line looking to put fear in UNI quarterback Theo Day’s eyes, Tampa will have opportunities to make plays all over the field.
There is a reason that Tampa was a preseason All-Big 12 pick. He is consistent and a threat to the opposing team’s passing game. If everything plays out like it should, Tampa is a name that will be heard constantly on Saturday.
UNI:
Theo Day – Quarterback
Although Theo Day will have to deal with Iowa State’s elite defensive backroom and a hungry defensive line, he still has a chance to have a day against the Cyclones.
Day is a player that should not be slept on. He earned First Team All-MVFC honors in 2022 thanks to his 3,121 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. Day was by far one of the best quarterbacks in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) and will look to continue his impressive career.
Iowa State seems to have a solid game plan for containing Day, but that might not be enough to stop him completely. Day has the talent to give the Cyclones problems, and if he does, it might be another long day for Iowa State, who tends to play UNI closely.
Woo Governor – Defensive back
Similar to Tampa, Woo Governor is one of the stars of UNI’s defensive backroom. Governor enters this season as a Preseason First Team All-MVFC pick after securing Second Team honors in the 2022 season.
Governor ended last season with four interceptions, two of which were pick-sixes. If a ball was in the air, there was a good chance that Governor would make a play on it.
With two new quarterbacks looking to get off to a good start, Governor will be their worst nightmare. Expect to hear his name at least once, as one of the new players running Iowa State’s offense has a hiccup during the game.
Khristian Boyd – Defensive line
Similar to how Governor will look to terrorize the new quarterbacks, Khristian Boyd will look to do the same to the running back room. Boyd is coming off an impressive senior campaign that saw him earn Second Team All-MVFC honors.
Entering his final season with the Panthers, Boyd earned Preseason First Team All-MVFC honors. Boyd finished the 2022 season with 32 total tackles, averaging over three a game. He also recorded five tackles for a loss and one assisted sack.
With the Iowa State running back room looking to get its foot in the ground, Boyd will be looking to plug any holes on the line. Norton mentioned before the season that he was working on getting more vertical instead of breaking to the outside as much. Boyd will be the man stopping Norton from getting vertical on Saturday and could cause Norton to have a long day.
